Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera not a taskmaster

SAN JOSE - Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera looked like a five-star general addressing the nation.

He wore a conservative gray vest over a pinstriped button-up shirt and held his hands behind his waist as he stood on a stage and answered questions a few days before the Super Bowl.

Rivera grew up in a military family. His father, Eugenio, served 32 years in the U.S. Army and was a commissioned officer who took his family all over the world. Rivera went to school in Germany, Panama, Washington, D.C., and Maryland before attending high school in Monterey.

“It's been a great experience,” Rivera said. “I think there's a lot of things you learn in terms of discipline, work ethic, chain of command. I think growing up in that type of an environment has certainly developed me into the person I am today.”

As influential as the father was, he's not the one who led Rivera to football.

“My father being Puerto Rican, his game was baseball,” Rivera said. “I had an uncle who played football and was a tremendous football player. He coached all of us - my older brothers and my younger brother and me - and upon his passing, I just felt compelled to make sure that I was able to thank him for the things he's given me and really just being a mentor toward me as I grew up in life.”

Rivera has two sides: The football side, which comes from his uncle. And the military side, which comes from his father. You can hear the military side when you listen to Rivera praise his players. Read what he said about his captains on Tuesday:

“They've been very valuable and I really do appreciate them because of their willingness to take ownership and to step to the forefront. One of the nice things that they've done is situations like this, when I have brought questions to them or they've brought comments to me, they've been very upfront and honest about their responses. I think that's invaluable because to me it indicates that they're willing to take ownership, they're willing to take leadership and step out in front. It makes it a lot easier on me as far as that's concerned.”

A reporter said, “Coach, your team is loose, and that's something that you always encourage. Where is the line, with you as the shepherd, (to make sure they don't get) too loose or too tight?”

“It's not just about me shepherding them,” said Rivera, “as much as it's been their captains (shepherding them).”

Like he was praising colonels in his army. Nothing but the utmost pride and respect for his subordinates in the chain of command.

Rivera's military upbringing influenced not only how he speaks but also how he coaches the Panthers.

“Growing up in the military, a lot of people think I want to be more strict and more disciplined,” Rivera said. “And I kind of approached things that way earlier in my career as a coach. I've come to realize that the one thing you've got to be careful of is, you don't want to take who they are away from them by having too many rules and being too strict and too uptight about things…

“I've learned to be flexible with it. I think that's part of my upbringing. It's the military. You have to be able to adjust to things as they happen. I think that's kind of what I've done - try to adjust and develop our own way and our own personality as far as this football team is concerned.”